Morning Prayer - You See Into My Heart

Lord, what good is it if my hands are clean, but my heart is full of anger and resentment?

Write Your Law in My Heart

Lord, You tell me so clearly that my righteousness cannot be merely an outward appearance. You call me not to have a faith like that of the scribes and Pharisees, who carefully followed the letter of the law but forgot its spirit.

You invite me beyond the glittering facade, into the depths where everything truly happens.

“I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jer 31:33)

Please, do this in me today. I confess that anger, resentment, and bitterness toward my brother are stirring in my heart. But You say that I should leave my gift before the altar and first be reconciled.

Help me to offer not only my prayers, but also my willingness to reconcile.

I also confess that my eyes often look with lust, and You remind me that sin is already committed in the heart. I do not want to live a divided life, with a smile on my face and filth in my heart.

Lord, You See into the Heart

In a world that judges by appearance, You are the one who sees the truth. You see beyond my actions, into the motives and intentions that I hide even from myself.

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Sam 16:7)

Because You see my heart, today I ask You with the words of the psalmist, which are the cry of my soul.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Ps 51:10)

Give me the courage to be radical in my decision for You. To be willing to ‘cut off’ what causes me to stumble and separates me from You.

Teach me simplicity and honesty, so that my ‘yes’ may be truly ‘yes,’ and my ‘no’ truly ‘no,’ without excuses or embellishments.

Christ, You Are My Righteousness

When I listen to Your words, I realize that I can never achieve this measure of holiness on my own. My strength is too little, my will too weak. But thank You, for You did not come only with demands, but also with a solution.